Good grief, that’s been a manic few days, hasn’t it? Incredibly, the Book of Life has rocketed to 189% of its target with just 38 hours left on the clock.

This month on Kickstarter has been unbelievable. I would have been happy to reach 100%. I planned for that very eventuality, assuming we’d not go a penny over our target. £6,000 to unlock the “Lost Issue” of Afterlife Inc. seemed insurmountable, and when we hit it I felt for sure that we’d finally plateaued. But over the last few days we’ve experienced another, completely unexpected, surge in interest, so much so that our ultimate stretch goal – £7,000 for the Afterlife Inc. game – actually seems obtainable.

Can we do it? Can we hit 200% and make the game a reality? We’ve achieved so much so far that anything from this point on is just icing on the cake. If we hit 200%, that would be amazing. If we don’t, we’re already in a position to print TWICE as many copies of the Book of Life as originally planned, not to mention the bookmarks, ID cards and lapel badges, and digital copies of the “Lost Issue”. Believe me; I’m more than happy with how things have turned out. Thank you all for making this possible. Your support has been incredible.

But with the Kickstarter counter now ticking away the hours rather than days, I’ll have to hurry if I’m to fit in another interview with one of the artists who helped make the Book of Life a reality.

Del Borovic is another one of my oldest collaborators. We first worked together on the Harvey Award nominated ‘Uniques Tales’, having been introduced by series creators Comfort Love and Adam Withers. Later, when gathering the stories that would become Afterlife Inc. volume one, Del was one of the first artists I turned to. Her work on ‘Elementary’, which saw Lux team up with none other than Sherlock Holmes, remains one of my favourite pieces of Afterlife Inc. art to date, both for its elegantly realised vision of the Empyrean and the deep emotional resonance that only Del could convey.

It’s an honour to feature Del’s work in the Book of Life, and a great pleasure to hear from her today. Thanks Del. Over to you!

Who the hell do you think you are? (Afterlife pun)

I’m Del Borovic, orange-lover and total nerd. I’m a current resident of Cleveland, Ohio (the other hellmouth) and graduate of Savannah College of Art & Design with a BFA in comics. I’m a Sagittarius.

What do you do when not working for Afterlife Inc.?

Currently I’m an IT-person by day, manic freelancer by night. I am constantly working on commissions and personal art projects. I fill my life with things creative and geeky and am an avid cosplayer!

How did you come to work on the Book of Life?

I worked as the artist with Jon on Comfort Love & Adam Withers’ Uniques Tales short ‘The Existence of Angels’. He was a joy to work with, and I jumped at the chance to get to do more artwork supporting his amazing prose when he asked me.

(Del was the first artist I ever had the pleasure of working with on a comic. Seeing a story of mine come to life was a dream come true for an aspiring young comic guy. I’m eternally grateful to Del – and her amazing artwork – for making that possible. In many ways, Del was the enabler that allowed Afterlife Inc. to begin. Thanks Del! – Jon)

What are you currently working on?

Just now finishing up another comic – I really enjoy doing these short anthology works! Besides that, always juggling private commissions, convention appearances and personal art. I’ve been working with my awesome partner on a new noir/pulp era comic series, so I’m really excited about that!

What inspires or influences you?

All artwork to me comes from an emotion of a character; and trying to capture that spark of life is what I chase after most. What inspires me: mood music, good movies, compelling video games, great writing, and especially my girlfriend. The most influential artists to me are Adam Hughes and ‘Berserk’s’ Kentaro Miura – I’m always inspired after seeing their works.

What was your first comic experience?

The first comics I can remember reading were the awesome ‘Battle Angel Alita’ graphic novels by Yukito Kishiro that I found in my local library. Admittedly I was a bit too young for them, but I fell in love! I’ve always enjoyed doing art, and realizing that you could combine art and stories was something I never looked back from. That only grew stronger in college, and it’s still the medium I prefer most.

What does the future hold for you and your artwork?

Lots, I hope! I’m always open for freelance projects large and small! I hope to keep doing a lot of comics and illustration work in the future. Also excited to draw up more of my own stories and characters and put them out there for people to enjoy!

For more of Del’s astounding artwork be sure to check out her online portfolio and Tumblr. You can also swing by her Facebook and Twitter feeds for regular updates from the world of Borovic.

We did it! We’ve hit 169%, smashing £6,000 and unlocking our next stretch goal: the infamous “lost issue” of Afterlife Inc. Just as well, really, as I spent yesterday dusting off the original page files and collating them into a PDF. Thanks to you wonderful people, this curious piece of Afterlife Inc. history will now finally be revealed to the world.

With only 4 days left of our time on Kickstarter, and with some great Afterlife Inc. artists still to hear from, let’s dive straight into another interview, this time with my long time collaborator and all round nice guy, Mr Roy Huteson Stewart.

Roy and I have been working together, on and off, since I first started making comics. His gracious and friendly exterior masks a complex web of intriguing lines, atmospheric shadows and truly mind-blowing colours. A page of Roy Huteson Stewart artwork is quite unlike anything else: a wonder to behold. His standout work on ‘Silver Screen’ from Afterlife Inc. volume 1 (also featuring in the Book of Life) remains a highlight of the series. Roy has also returned to the character of Love Jackson in a brand new pin-up for the Book of Life.

He’s a man with great talent and things to say. So, without further ado, over to you, Roy!

Who the hell do you think you are? (Afterlife pun)

I’m not sure; can I get back to you on that one? Seriously, for those of you who don’t know, my name is Roy aka rhstewart. I was born and raised in London and I now reside in Leeds, which I moved to two and a half years ago.

My first published sequential art was for Blue Water Comics’ ‘Vincent Price Presents’ in 2009. I was then asked to come back and illustrate a 4-issue miniseries, ‘Roger Corman’s Death Sport Games’. In the succeeding years I have contributed to a number of anthologies, including a successfully funded Kickstarter, ‘Dead Roots‘; ‘Silver Screen’ for Afterlife Inc. (YAY!); the British Showcase Anthology; and Kuruz. In 2010, I contributed to BE Active’s transmedia production ‘Collider’ providing the flashback art for the 6-issue series, which has now been made into an Emmy nominated feature film.

Last May, my illustrated Aleister Crowley biography for Markosia was published in paperback. It was later released as a limited edition hardback, launching at the 2013 Thought Bubble comic convention. I was also lucky enough to host a gallery of my original Crowley artwork for a one-month residency at the world famous occultist bookshop Atlantis in the heart of London.

What do you do when not working for Afterlife Inc.?

I mainly sit on my keister, drinking coffee and procrastinating about world domination.

How did you come to work on the Book of Life?

As always, there is a short answer and a long answer. The short answer is: Jon asked me. Simple as that. I’m always flattered when someone asks me to draw their stories. I mean, there are a bazillion other artists out there too choose from, and he asked me! How can I resist that?

The longer version involves me previously collaborating with Jon on a 4-page story entitled ‘Tobias’ for the Observer Sequential Art Competition. Unfortunately, we didn’t win (sob). Fortunately (for me), Jon still wanted to work with me. As Tobias was surreal in its approach, Jon thought my art style would be a good match for ‘Silver Screen’. The rest, as they say, is history.

(Tobias remains one of the strangest comics I’ve ever made. I’m still not sure I entirely understand what it was all about. That said, it was a lot of fun to work on, and I’m immensely grateful to Roy for bringing to life. Tobias can be read in its entirety here. – Jon)

Back in the mists of time when I was six or seven, my dad used to get me a monthly Marvel comic called ‘Shogun Warriors’, which involved giant Gundam-style robots fighting it out against B-movie style giant alien weirdoes. From there it was a natural progression to ‘Rom: Spaceknight’ then Transformers; with the occasional Marvel and DC comic picked up at my local newsagents or jumble sale. It wasn’t until Easter 1985 that I started to become seriously obsessed with a little known comic called 2000AD. And then things got really weird…

What does the future hold for you and your artwork?

Not too sure. My psychic abilities are limited, to say the least. I never know when my girlfriend is mad at me or when the phone is going to ring. As always, I’m open to commissions (rhsillustrator@gmail.com) and if I’m lucky I’ll get to work with more talented writers like you (yeah, you!) sometime soon. You can find me on all the popular social network sites by searching “rhs illustrator”. Come and say hello.

Be sure to check out Roy’s online portfolios here and here for a comprehensive cross-section of his amazing work. You can also find him on Twitter. Go show him some love, why not.

Well, this is it. The final countdown. With 5 days left to go of our time on Kickstarter, the Book of Life stands at an incredible 167% of our target. Thanks to your support, not only can we afford to print TWICE as many copies as originally planned, but we’ve also unlocked all manner of great stretch goals, including bookmarks, lapel badges and Afterlife Inc. ID cards.

Best of all, we’re now only £75 from unlocking the infamous “Lost Issue” of Afterlife Inc., a never-before-seen 22-page comic from the early days of the series. It’s weird, it’s wonderful; it doesn’t exactly fit with the continuity any more… but I’m very excited at the prospect of releasing it after all this time. Can we make £75 in 5 days? I really think we can. And if we do, all backers at the £10 level and above will receive an exclusive digital copy in addition to all the extra stretch goals.

So, with things going so well for the Book of Life, what better way to celebrate than with another interview? Yay!

This time around, it’s the turn of Will Tempest, not to be confused with his equally charming brother, Jack. Yes, you heard correctly. There’s more than one of them. Blessed not only with the coolest name imaginable, the Tempest Clan are also an infuriatingly talented bunch. Seriously, they’re all awesome!

Will has been a regular contributor to Afterlife Inc. since book one, sculpting some of the weirdest tales we’ve ever told with his detailed, sophisticated line work. It’s an honour to have him return to the Book of Life with a pin-up of none other than everyone’s favourite socialist blob, Temperance Jones!

Cheers Will. Over to you!

Who the hell do you think you are? (Afterlife pun)

Will Tempest.

What do you do when not working for Afterlife Inc.?

Draw comics. Try to get by freelancing.

How did you come to work on the Book of Life?

My brother Jack had already done a story for Afterlife Inc. and I think he gave them my name or something. I can’t really remember now.

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on a horror graphic novel with Ales Kot and some of my own stuff.

What inspires or influences you?

Lots of things; can’t really think of any specifics. I read a lot, watch films, the usual stuff really.

What was your first comic experience?

Wolverine and Gambit reprints by Panini Comics. Liefeld on art. I must have read that thing 10 times in a row, it had me hooked.

What does the future hold for you and your artwork?

Who knows, we’ll have to wait and see.

Will’s art is currently gracing the pages of Zero from Image Comics. For more of his work, be sure to check out his Tumblr. Original artwork can be bought from his store. He also Tweets. Prolifically.

Sorry for the radio silence over the last few days. I’ve been away in London on a special mission: namely, the CULT event at Orbital Comics, as hosted by myself and six other creators from the UK comic scene, a.k.a. GHOSTS. The brainchild of Owen Johnson, CULT was a bizarre and wonderful time for everyone involved. Merging an art exhibition, music, booze, comics and spectacle, the party lasted long into the night. This was the first event hosted by the GHOSTS collective, but based on the fantastic response from a (slightly shell-shocked) public it definitely won’t be our last.

My thanks to everyone who stopped by on behalf of Afterlife Inc. to say hello and grab a sneak peek at the Book of Life. It was great to be able to chat about comics, London and life itself in such a colourful setting. Your support, as ever, makes all this worthwhile.

For those who weren’t able to make it, the CULT art exhibition will continue to run at Orbital until the end of April. If you’re local to London and fancy a pleasing diversion, why not stop by to check out our 21 visions on the theme of “cult”, touching everything from pop history, sci-fi awesomeness and eldritch nightmares.

But, of course, the best thing about going away is coming home, as every time I head off to capital city I return to find that you – my wonderful backers – have completely blown me away with your amazing support.

We’re at 159% of our target!

This is absolutely stunning, and with over a week still on the clock, it’s another major step towards our grand, crazy, super-exciting, super-high-end Stretch Goal of the Afterlife Inc. Game!

Thanks to you, the Book of Life is completely funded – something so awesome it hasn’t actually sunk in yet. The Book of Life was always the focus of this Kickstarter, but with things going so well it’s amazing to see what other great projects we might able to fund.

With several Stretch Goals now smashed (larger print run, bookmarks, badges and business cards), I’m very happy to announce yet another (and quite an interesting one, at that)…

£6,000 – Afterlife Inc. “The Lost Issue”

All backers at the £10 (“EMPLOYEE”) level and above will receive an exclusive digital copy of the never-before-seen “Lost Issue” of Afterlife Inc. This 22-page comic would have been issue 1 of the series. Instead, as Afterlife Inc. grew and developed in ways I could never have anticipated, this strange little comic no longer fitted in with the greater canon or mythology. Think of it as a demo tape – a test before moving on to a full album – or a vision of what might have been. DISCLAIMER! Certain pieces of dialogue may be redacted to avoid spoilers. You have been warned!

Just a quick one this time. As the Book of Life climbs ever closer (147%) to our extravagant stretch goal of the Afterlife Inc. game, I just wanted to share with you another nugget of test footage from Ash.

This time around it’s Afterlife Inc. head of security, Lux, battling… well, some strange yet familiar faces, at least. Just who the heck were those guys!?

Also, some complete footage from one of Ash’s other games, Super Heavy Sword 2:

Is anyone else excited? I’m excited.

Thanks once again for the amazing response to the Book so far, guys. It’s been mind-blowing. More news and goals soon!

With the Book of Life now at 147% on Kickstarter (flipping heck!), it’s time for another artist interview. And this time, we’re going right back to the source…

Ash Jackson is, without doubt, the definitive Afterlife Inc. artist. As the chief artist on the series, Ash’s work has been front and centre to the Afterlife Inc. experience since day one. Our first story together, Final Destination (now chapter one of the Book of Life), was the spark that set the entire series in motion. Without Ash’s input, Afterlife Inc. – if indeed it were to exist at all – would be a very different beast. Ash has defined these characters. In his hands, Jack Fortune has come to life as the radiant charmer we all know and love.

Outside of Afterlife Inc. and his other comic work, Ash is also a talented game developer, whose work as Monster Robot Studios will be gracing the forthcoming Afterlife Inc. game.

From pictures to words, however, and the big man himself. Over to you, Ash!

Who the hell do you think you are? (Afterlife pun)

Ash Jackson.

What do you do when not working for Afterlife Inc.?

I’m working on new apps or drawing caricatures at weddings and other fun events.

How did you come to work on the Book of Life?

You asked if I wanted to. And I did!

What are you currently working on?

On the app side of projects, I’m working on a few games: SUPER Heavy Sword (the sequel to HEAVY sword), 100R00Ms. and a few others – and MAYBE the Afterlife Inc. game if all goes well with the Kickstarter🙂

On the comic side, I’m working on a few small projects/pin-ups and my own project called ‘Trigger Savage’. Here are a few thumbnails from that:

What inspires or influences you?

Real life, art, movies, games… I think everything you experience in life influences you in one way or another.

What was your first comic experience?

I think ‘Battle Chasers’ was probably the comic that really made me want to get into drawing comics. I really loved Joe Mad’s style. I’ve always been more into the fantasy or sci-fi type books than the superhero ones (not to say there is anything wrong with superhero comics!)

What does the future hold for you and your artwork?

I’m not sure, it hasn’t happened yet!

Ash’s video game work can be found on the Monster Robot Studios website. On Twitter he lives a dual life, posing as both human and games master. His games are available to purchase for Android and Apple devices. Check out Steam Punks. It’s awesome.

With the Book of Life now at 142% on Kickstarter (woo!), have you heard about our Stretch Goal plans?

Right at the far end of the spectrum, our highest target, is Afterlife Inc. The Game! Yes, indeed, Afterlife Inc. is making the leap into video games. Ash Jackson, chief artist on the series, is also the mastermind behind game developer Monster Robot Studios. We’re joining forces to bring you, not just a classic party-based RPG in the style of Final Fantasy or the On the Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness series, but also an in-canon tale of Afterlife Inc. dealing with the aftermath of volume 3.

Thanks to the support of our Kickstarter backers, the Book of Life will now be a reality. With more than 2 weeks of funding still to go, however, maybe we can make this awesome new project happen too.

Check out these great pieces of test animation from Ash. More news soon!

With the Book of Life now at 138% of its target (wow!) the time has come for another interview with one of the amazing artists whose work graces the Book of Life. Actually, come to think of it, there’s no rhyme or reason as to when these interviews are posted. Oh wait, we’re two weeks in! Let’s use that as a landmark!

Hey gang! With the Book of Life now 2 weeks into its time on Kickstarter (and 138% funded!) let’s enjoy another interview with an Afterlife Inc. artist. This time around, it’s the astonishing and forever-smiling Jack Tempest! After Ash Jackson, the main series artist, no one has drawn Afterlife Inc. more times than Jack. His art is always a joy to behold; simultaneously detailed and deceptively clean. When it came to producing an exclusive never-before-seen story for the Book of Life, only one name sprang to mind.

And when they didn’t answer, I immediately called Jack😉

But of course, I jest. Jack’s work has helped define the look and feel of the Empyrean and its inhabitants. Working with him has always been a great honour. So, without further delay, let’s hand things over to the man with the coolest name in comics.

The floor is yours, Jack…

Who the hell do you think you are? (Afterlife pun)

Jack Tempest.

What do you do when not working for Afterlife Inc.?

I work a day job.

How did you come to work on the Book of Life?

It’s not a very exciting story really. Jon asked me if I’d like to draw some comics and I said yes.

What are you currently working on?

I’m very slowly chipping away at a sci-fi comic called ‘The Locker’.

What inspires or influences you?

All sorts of stuff. Not just comics. It’s hard to nail down specific things. That being said, anything by Mike Mignola is an inspiration/influence for me.

What was your first comic experience?

Reading my brothers’ ‘Wolverine and Gambit’ comics during GCSE art class. The story was drawn by Rob Liefeld and it was about Wolverine fighting a bunch of mercenary guys in a forest I think.

What does the future hold for you and your artwork?

I don’t know. Good things I hope.

For more of Jack’s art, be sure to check out his blog or online portfolio. He also Tweets on occasion.

With the Book of Life now – amazingly! – funded, I’d like to take a moment to shine a light on some of the incredible artists who have contributed to Afterlife Inc. over the years. Thanks to their talent, the world of Jack Fortune and Co. has never looked anything short of spectacular. I owe them a massive debt of gratitude.

First up, it’s the amazing Chailey Illman, long time friend of the series and now artist for the Book of Life special features. Chailey’s beautiful illustrations can be found in the Guide to the Afterlife, an in-world handbook to everything you could possibly need to know about the afterlife and its inhabitants.

Over to you, Chailey!

Who the hell do you think you are? (Afterlife pun)

Helloo!! My name is Chailey and I’m a guy… That’s usually a shocker to people, so best to get that one out of the way first… I asked my girlfriend to describe me in a few words to help me with this answer, and she shrugged, puffed her cheeks out, blew a raspberry and said “I dunno really…”, whereas my daughter says I’m the best daddy in the world, so I’m going to go with that…

What do you do when not working for Afterlife Inc.?

I have a full-time print based job during the day, and spend my evenings multi-tasking (badly) with parental duties, drawing and catching up/reminiscing with the usually nerdy TV shows and films… Other times I just drink cider…

When I do get the opportunity to just sit and draw I am more inspired to create one-off comedy pieces than to do multi-panelled sketches. I occasionally dabble in caricatures but as a general rule as long as my art brings a smile or, better still, a laugh to people then I’m happy. Although I have been drawing since I was very young, at 35 I’m fairly new to the world of illustrating for anything more than a pastime. I began trading as DillyMarno Designs in 2012, and first started selling my artwork as greetings cards and prints at a local comic convention in 2013 after much support and cajoling from my family and friends. Since then I have begun sketching out new ideas for illustrations and have a begun a nightly “15 Minute Challenge” on Facebook where my followers request things for me to draw… This also helps me to keep my artistic mojo going…

How did you come to work on the Book of Life?

There is a VERY long version to this answer which begins with “Once upon a time…” involves a comic shop, a girl, a shy nerd, hours of sketching, a laminated poster and a comic convention… but the short version is that I got to know Jon through friends over the last couple of years and he is very supportive of new art and artists like myself. (Lies, damned lies! – Jon)

What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on new greetings cards and designs for prints to trade, as well as taking on commissions. I took on the role as ‘Art Department Brian’ for Melksham Comic Con and that takes up a fair amount of time in preparation for the yearly event. I have a few projects in the ideas stages, but they are still yet to develop into something tangible.

What inspires or influences you?

I love sci-fi and monster movies. Ray Harryhausen was a God to me as a child and I very much like artwork that uses creatures, mythical or otherwise. I currently love the work of Skottie Young, particularly his Wizard of Oz series, and more recently the Marvel NOW! #1 baby variant covers. My daughter inspires a lot of my artwork. Ever since she was small I have always designed her birthday and Christmas cards, so pretty much whatever she’s into at the time will influence their outcome… Most recently an Adventure Time and Doctor Who mash up.

What was your first comic experience?

Actually, it was Afterlife Inc. Volume 1: Dying to Tell… I went to a panel at Melksham Comic Con 2012 and heard Jon promoting his new book, and I was sold… It was the first comic I had bought since the X Files range back in the 1990s and the only one I had ever read cover to cover… I mostly like to look at the pictures…

What does the future hold for you and your artwork?

After being hit with the convention bug last year, I will be appearing at a few more over the next year with some new designs. I am looking out for new opportunities within the industry and am always open to commissions.

I have also begun designing sculpted cakes for friends and family, and will look into developing that into a business in the near future. I just have to dot the i’s and cross the t’s…

Be sure to check out Chailey’s official website for more of his amazing artwork. He can also be followed on Facebook and Tumblr. His Twitter and, ironically, trucker handle is @Dillymarno.

We’ve had an incredible response in our first day, reaching (at the time of writing) 47% of our target in just 9 hours. I’m truly overwhelmed by the support of my backers. The Book of Life is a major landmark for both Afterlife Inc. and myself as a writer. It’s been a long strange road reaching this point and I could never have anticipated the interest my characters would receive. It’s been an honour. Thank you, everyone, for making this all possible.

If you’d like to get hold of a copy of the Book of Life, the deluxe hardback collected edition of Afterlife Inc. volumes 1-3, be sure to check out the Kickstarter. While the Book will eventually retail at £40, backers can take advantage of a Kickstarter-only price of just £35. Sadly, all the early bird super-discounted books have now sold out! Wow!